Civilians bear the brunt, with deadly US strikes in Iran and thousands displaced in Yemen
UN investigators urge halt to fighting as civilian suffering deepens in Iran and Yemen
Qinilo.com – UN-appointed human rights experts have appealed for an immediate end to military operations after recent United States airstrikes in Iran killed civilians, while an expanding conflict in Yemen has driven tens of thousands of people from their homes.
The developments underline the growing regional impact of fighting involving the United States, Israel and Iran, as well as the renewed escalation between Yemen’s Saudi-backed authorities and the Iran-backed Houthi militia. In both settings, UN agencies have warned that civilians are paying the highest price through deaths, injuries, displacement and shrinking access to relief.
Questions over protection of civilians in Iran
Sara Hossain, who chairs the Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, said the latest attacks show the severe human consequences of the conflict.
“These strikes are yet another devastating reminder of the human cost of the conflict between the United States and Israel and Iran,”
The mission said civilian fatalities have been documented from the opening days of US-Israeli attacks in February. One strike on a school killed more than 160 children, making it one of the most devastating incidents cited by the investigators.
Hossain stressed that military action does not remove the obligation to safeguard non-combatants and civilian sites.
“Civilians must be protected at all times, and constant care must be taken to spare civilians and civilian objects from the effect of hostilities,”
Credible information gathered by the mission points to strikes on a residential house on 30 July and a wedding event on 1 September. Families were killed or injured in those incidents, including women and children from marginalised minority communities. The United States has maintained that civilians were not intended targets.
Max du Plessis, a member of the fact-finding mission, said recurring incidents involving civilian casualties require close scrutiny of whether the parties are meeting their legal duties.
“Repeated airstrikes causing civilian casualties raise serious questions about whether all necessary measures are being taken to comply with States’ obligations under international law, including to take all precautionary measures to avoid civilian deaths.”
The investigators called on every party in the regional confrontation to stop hostilities and observe international law without exception. They warned that violations may lead to international responsibility, including possible war-crimes accountability.
They also emphasised the need for independent monitors, journalists and investigators to have unrestricted access. Such access is essential for documenting what happened, protecting evidence and enabling future accountability efforts.
The Human Rights Council created the fact-finding mission in 2022 to examine alleged rights violations linked to protests in Iran. On 23 January 2026, its mandate was extended for another two years. The experts have again urged Member States to use diplomacy to reduce tensions and pursue credible dialogue focused on peace, justice, human rights and equal participation in public and political life.
Repeated displacement in Yemen
Yemen is facing a separate but equally alarming civilian emergency. At least 80,000 people have fled intensified fighting in recent days, with many families forced to leave home for a second or third time. UNHCR stressed that protection and relief access must remain central to the response.
“Civilians must be protected. Humanitarian aid must reach those in need.”
Millions of people in Yemen already require urgent support. The new violence is adding pressure to communities that have endured years of instability, weakened services and repeated displacement. Media accounts indicate that Houthi fighters have taken several Red Sea islands and a strategically important Yemeni port city, strengthening their influence around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, where attacks on Saudi shipping have taken place.
The Bab al-Mandab is a narrow waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Its importance to regional shipping means that fighting near the strait can have consequences beyond Yemen, while the immediate burden remains concentrated on people living in areas affected by combat.
Abdusattor Esoev, the International Organization for Migration’s country director in Yemen, described the rapidly worsening conditions last Friday.
“The situation in Yemen is deteriorating quickly,”
IOM said it is tracking developments and responding to immediate humanitarian requirements. Aid organisations continue trying to deliver food, shelter and other urgent assistance despite serious operational barriers.
By 12 September, humanitarian teams had reached thousands of households. Yet stocks were nearing critical levels and available funding did not match the scale of need. Insecurity has sharply limited travel and humanitarian access, with some operations on Yemen’s west coast suspended. Important roads are either impassable or subject to restrictions, making it harder for assistance to reach displaced families and communities cut off by fighting.
The latest OCHA updates put displacement since the beginning of September at least 18,000 households, representing roughly 125,000 people. These figures illustrate how quickly local fighting can turn into a wider humanitarian crisis when families have little time to prepare and safe routes are unavailable.
Women and children among verified casualties
The civilian toll has continued to rise. Farhan Haq, the UN Deputy Spokesperson, said the consequences for ordinary people are becoming more severe. From 1 September through Monday, the UN human rights office verified 40 civilian casualties in Yemen: eight people killed and 32 injured.
Women and children made up half of those killed and more than half of those wounded. The figures highlight why international humanitarian law requires all sides to distinguish civilians from military targets, take feasible precautions and permit safe, unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid.
For families displaced by the latest violence, the urgent concerns are practical and immediate: safety, a place to stay, food, medical care and the ability to move without crossing active front lines. UN agencies have reiterated that these needs cannot be met without sustained access, adequate supplies and steps by all parties to protect civilians.
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